SHILLONG : Assam Police have arrested a 32-year-old man from Maharashtra after recovering 37 kg of smuggled gold worth around ₹55 crore in one of the state’s biggest gold seizures in recent years.
The accused, identified as Akshay Bansode from Sangli district, was arrested from the Kharghuli area of North Guwahati while allegedly waiting to hand over two bags containing the contraband.
Police said the bags contained 24-carat gold biscuits and bars weighing 37 kg, around 13 grams of silver, and four mobile phones. The total value of the seizure is estimated at ₹55 crore.
Bansode was produced before a court and remanded to three days of police custody for further investigation.
Investigators believe the racket has links stretching beyond India. Preliminary findings indicate the smuggled gold originated through Myanmar and West Asia, with distribution networks extending to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
Police also revealed that Bansode had been living in Guwahati for nearly two months under disguise. At times, he allegedly posed as a beggar to avoid suspicion while carrying out smuggling activities.
Officials said they had been tracking his movements for weeks before launching the operation. When intercepted, Bansode was unable to produce any documents to prove the legal source of the gold. During questioning, he allegedly admitted to delivering around 20 kg of gold on earlier occasions. Police suspect he worked as a delivery agent in the network and was paid ₹80,000 per month.
Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the smuggling syndicate and trace the source and destination of the seized gold.
Police in Sangli, Maharashtra, are also verifying whether Bansode has any previous criminal record.
